Josh Ritter to play acoustic solo-show at The Music Hall

Thursday

Mar 27, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Internationally celebrated songwriter Josh Ritter takes The Music Hall Stage on Friday, March 28. Spotlight had the opportunity to run a few questions by him in anticipation of the upcoming performance.

Christopher Hislop

Internationally celebrated songwriter Josh Ritter takes The Music Hall Stage on Friday, March 28. Spotlight had the opportunity to run a few questions by him in anticipation of the upcoming performance.

SPOTLIGHT: Let's talk about "The Beast in its Tracks." What were the goals behind that record when you set out to make it? It's been just over a year since it was released. Listening back on it, is there anything you might have done differently?

RITTER: I never torture myself by looking back on things and critiquing them. Self-deprecation is counterproductive to me. I try to make the best record that I can, and when it's released, it's finished. There are so many things in life to dwell on, that I pay no mind to how things "could have been." I'm happy with every record I put out. It's a moment in time, and it's important to celebrate and learn from those moments. Sometimes they're fun to look back on.

SPOTLIGHT: Music. What does the medium mean to you as a writer? How does music push the art of you pushing pen on paper?

RITTER: Music to me is always moving. It's a primal element that's hard to describe and really just simply exists. It has always existed. I've never been one to believe that it's as hard to write a free-verse poem, as it is to write a song. There's a system of rules with music. It's very exact. When you're under the guise of these rules, I always find I'm taken to far more interesting places as a writer than just rambling along on a page. You have to consider rhythm, meter, and mood, and try to dovetail lyrics to those elements of the song. Music and creating songs is always thrilling to me. It's a puzzle. It's like doing a crossword. It's the practice of creating art by means of an interactive crossword. (Laughs.)

SPOTLIGHT: You're coming to Portsmouth for a solo acoustic show at The Music Hall. What are you looking forward to when you roll into the Granite State in a couple of weeks?

RITTER: Well, I actually recorded a great deal of my debut record in Portsmouth (at the Electric Cave), and I'm excited to get back and see how things are, what's new, and what hasn't changed. I'm looking forward to seeing some people I haven't seen in quite a while. It's such an exciting time to be playing right now. Playing solo is exhilarating. It's just so fun.

SPOTLIGHT: In terms of playing solo vs. with the band: Do you have a preference? Do you feel naked up there when you're solo, or just as comfortable as you would if you were with the full band?

RITTER: I started playing solo — it's not that it's more comfortable, it's just where I came from, and is something I do on a daily basis whether there's an audience there or not. Things can get more complicated in a band, but on the same token, you are more "clothed." It's easier to get lost in the framework of the band, and if you make mistakes, it may not be as evident. I like putting myself out there. I like seeing where I can take the music on my own merit every once in awhile. It's liberating.

SPOTLIGHT: You're a relatively new parent. How's that treating you? How has your view of things — music, life, the world — changed since becoming a father?

RITTER: It's an inspiring experience to be the tour guide of this little person. My writing has become more focused — it has to be — and I find myself writing all the time now. It's refreshing to view the world through the eyes of a child. Wide-eyed wonderment. There's nothing like it. To be one of the catalysts that exposes a young mind to the world around them — it's extremely hard to describe how grateful I am for this experience.

SPOTLIGHT: How do you have time for anything else besides being a full-time lifeguard?

RITTER: She took her first steps backstage at a venue in Calgary. Most of the time my schedule has been such that I'm just following close behind her to make sure she's staying safe. I take her everywhere. She loves the aquarium. Again, it's just a surreal, inspiring experience to be a father. I can't imagine my life any other way.

SPOTLIGHT: What are you looking for a listener to take with them when they experience one of your records, or a live performance?

RITTER: The thing for me is, you can't really try to write a song trying to obtain a response from anyone but yourself. I've tried to in the past, but the truth of the matter is, they never react the way you think they're going to. There's a responsibility of an artist to go in there and write a tune the way you want to write it, record it the way you want it to sound. It's your responsibility as an artist to roll the ball forward. To play with real intent and the happiness you feel and to play songs that are not always easy. There's always songs out there that taste like ice cream, and are really good that people know are going to be tasty (laughs), but the real reward is found when people share appreciation for one of those harder songs.

SPOTLIGHT: What was the moment or experience that led you to chase life as a professional musician/songwriter?

RITTER: Some people get really lucky. That's how all of this happened to me. I got really lucky just sort of stumbling into music. I randomly stumbled into hearing "Girl from the North Country" from Nashville Skyline. It was collaboration with (Bob) Dylan and Johnny Cash. That was such a great moment. I'd never had any real experience with music before that. I mean, I played some violin, but that wasn't music to me, that was more of an exercise. That one song changed my whole world.

SPOTLIGHT: What can fans expect when they come out to see you perform at The Music Hall on the 28?

RITTER: It's going to be me playing solo. Playing it all. I love playing material from all the records, as well as new stuff. I'm so excited to be out on the road playing solo. It's going to be extremely fun.

The Music Hall is located at 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth. Tickets for this show, $27 to $33, are available by stopping by the box office, calling 436-2400, or visiting www.themusichall.org.

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